Menu

You are here

Neil Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium, to Give Public Talk at UMass Amherst

April 19, 2001

Contact:

AMHERST, Mass. - Neil de Grasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, will give a talk at the University of Massachusetts next week. The talk, "Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist," is scheduled for 10 a.m., Monday, April 30, in the Massachusetts Room at the Mullins Center. It is free and open to the public, although seating is limited.

The talk is sponsored by the Minority Graduate Education program. Tyson is being hosted by Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost Cora Marrett, and Distinguished Professor Lynn Margulis.

Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated in the public schools. He graduated from the renowned Bronx High School of Science. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, his master’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin, and his doctorate from Columbia University. In addition to his dozens of scientific publications, Tyson has authored five books for mainstream readers, including "The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist," in which he shares his perspectives and experiences as an African-American astrophysicist. He also writes a monthly essay for Natural History magazine.

Tyson’s research interests primarily address problems related to star formation, models of dwarf galaxies, exploding stars, and the chemical evolution of the Milky Way’s galactic bulge. In addition to his role at the Hayden Planetarium, he is also a visiting research scientist at Princeton University.